The Legend of Gorgo
by Kumander Tepay
Summary: [300]After the 300, the whole Spartan army was sent to finish the Persian army once and for all, but again, they failed in their attempt. Spartan's future lay in the hands of Queen Gorgo. What will she do to save her city?
1. Chapter 1

Authors's note: Hi...this is my very first fanfic...unfortunately this is a byproduct of drowsiness due to physics and the 300 soundtrack bad combination indeed 

If Frank Miller distorted history in his graphic novel 300, I''m gonna distort more of that in this fic...expect lots of buffs!!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own 300...I am just an ordinary student climber her way out of the pits of physics and programming... :-(

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Chapter 1

She feared that the worst might happen. And now, it did.

She knew that her worst fears had materialized. Her reality proved worse than any nightmare she had experienced. She never imagined this to happen, especially in her city. She would not believe it if she did not hear nor see it herself. The enemies must have been very strong and massive to defeat such force. She thought their force was strong enough to face the enemy, but it seemed they underestimated them. The fiercest warriors of their country against the finest in Asia. What did go wrong? 40,000 is more than enough. More enough than the 300 who first stood against the massive Persian army. More enough than the 300 with whom her husband died trying to defend Sparta.

"This is our moment for glory", Gorgo thought. Mixed fear and pride flowed in her emotions every time she thought of this. Fear that her son will be left alone in this world after the war. Pride that her time had come to serve her mother city, Sparta, and to die fighting for it. It wasn't easy task for Gorgo, knowing that her son would have no one to run on after this battle. Her son was her most valuable remembrance of her husband, Leonidas, who also died fighting for his country. She couldn't bear to see, or to imagine, him being dragged by some Persian soldier towards a murky dungeon, or crawling in some market, begging for food. It was a vision that haunts Gorgo every night since Dilios handed her the crescent moon necklace she gave Leonidas before he left with the brave 300.

Gorgo entered her chamber and leaned down beside her bed. There, she saw a huge wooden chest, old and dusty. She never thought that one day, she would look under her bed to find this. She really can't believe that these things were happening. She took the chest from under the bed and placed it on top of it. She opened it, and there she saw, a metal armor, fit for the body of a woman, a long unpolished sword, a helmet similar to that of her husband's, and a shield which resembled that of the Greek warrior's. Also there was the torn Spartan crimson her husband always wore whenever he went to battle. It was dirty as ever. Stains of blood were still present in the crimson. Gorgo did not dare wash the stain off. Her husband's blood was like paint in a beautiful painting, leaving colorful marks on every spot it touched.

She caressed the sword and the shield with her fingers. From her place, she could hear voices of busy people. "They would be next in line", she said to herself. As she took the contents of the chest out of it, the cries and shouts grew louder. Gorgo felt more nervous and hurried to pick her sword, helmet, and shield. She got out of her chamber and went outside to see what's happening. The women already prepared their waepons. The men gathered all the metals in the city and turned them into shields, spears and swords. The children were helping the men to their task. "They do their jobs well", she thought. She always admired Spartans in times like this. They were disciplined especially in the midst of panic and calamity.

The city of Sparta was nearly falling. After the defeat of the 40,000, the entire Greece went into alarm. The best of Sparta and Greece were exhausted, leaving only about 100, including Dilios. He was very lucky to have survived the two great battles. His left eye was still damaged, but he was as determined as ever. He promised to himself that he would do anything to help Gorgo and the remaining Spartans.

Gorgo went around to see what everybody was doing. She saw a small boy lifting a heavy basket of metals into a carriage. She immediately helped the boy carry his load and the boy smiled at her gratefully. She was uplifted to see a single smile in the midst of times like this. It was like having a small candle while walking in the night. Gorgo also smiled at the boy and left to see other people running hurriedly and packing their things. She couldn't help but pity her people to experience such suffering. They didn't deserve any of this. No one did. Of all people, why would this war come upon them?

At a distance, she could see Dilios along with some of the remaining 100, approaching the city gates, riding in horses. She was surprised to see them very soon. She sent them to other cities to join forces for one more battle against the Persians. They only left a month ago. She didn't expect them to be back at this time. "What happened to them?" she asked herself.

"Protesileus", Gorgo commanded. "Tell the men to open the gates. Our heroes have arrived earlier than expected."

The man named Protesileus who was helping his wife carry their things into their carriage, nodded and said, "Yes, my queen". He ran towards the gates like a madman and gave Gorgo's orders to the soldiers who were guarding the gates.

The gates were opened, and everyone could see the galloping horses and the men riding it. They wore Spartan crimsons. Some of the felt relieved to see that it was Spartans who were approaching their gates.

As the horses enter the city, the Spartan civilians clapped their hands to the approaching heroes. They thought that they were from a battle. They thought that the arrival of the warriors was good news, but to Gorgo, it wasn't. This was really bad news.

The horses stopped, but only Dilios got down from his horse. The rest stayed. Gorgo felt bad about this. She was happy to see them arrive safely, but not as early as this.

Dilios came forward and sighed as he walked. He looked terrible. Sadness was all over his face. Gorgo had never seen him so down and blue.

"My queen", said Dilios, "we have traveled day and night. We tried to go to other unconquered cities. We tried to contact our spies in Athens, in Mycenae, in Thessaly, in all of the other cities of Greece. But it seems, my queen, it seems…"

Dilios did not finish his sentence. He was too scared to speak of it. Either he was catious of the queen's emotions or he was not able to handle the truth, Gorgo did not care to know. She was eager to know what happened of Greece and of Sparta.

"Speak", ordered Gorgo.

Dilios straightened himself and obeyed his queen's orders. "It seems, my queen, that Sparta is the only Greek city which did not fall in the power of Xerxes. All of our spies hinted that the other cities were now under the Persians. We verified if what they told us were true, and we saw it for ourselves. Those cities become extensions of Xerxes' palace".

Gorgo was startled by what she had heard. Greece was like a tree being axed by a woodcutter, and Sparta was the last piece of wood which remained glued to the tree. One more city, the entire Greek country would be under Persian control.

This was too much. She knew from the start that they were doomed, but the brave 300 stood for Sparta without hesitation. The brave 300 stood for the innocent people who were now the only remaining survivors in Sparta.

This was a tough dilemma. The Spartans were now in the brood of defeat. They knew that it was their only future. Gorgo knew that the remaining survivors would not hesitate to stand up against Persians, but the Spartan race would end after this. She perfectly knew that either the children would be killed by the bloodthirsty invaders or they would be slaves.

She did not worry whether there will be someone to fight. She's sure that there would always be a Spartan who be willing to die defending their mother city. What troubles her is what would happen to their children and to the following generations. She cannot tell until when their race would last.

Gorgo took her attention back to Dilios and said, "What do you propose that we do? We must do something to help it somehow".

Dilios was startled by the queen's question. No one ever asked him for an advice about things like this, not even Leonidas.

"Don't hesitate, Spartan", said Gorgo as if reading his mind. "It is your duty to your country to help your fellow Spartan by answering this question. Spartans are dying, and we need to act as quickly as possible to stop it from happening again".

"My queen", Dilios said slowly. "It is unwise to attack them. The number of women is not enough to face such massive army. Let them attack the city. And Sparta will match its finest to the best in Asia."

"Let the men guard the city gates", Gorgo said immediately. "I will prepare the army myself".

Dilios commanded his men to guard the gates and turned back his attention to Gorgo.

"What will I do, my queen?", he asked.

The queen hesitated to answer. "I will ask for you later. You are the best man for the task", Gorgo replied.

Dilios left. Gorgo followed him with her eyes until he was gone. She felt every bit of loneliness in her body coming into her chest again. How she wished that Dilios was Leonidas, alive until that day. She remembered the very last night when her husband was very troubled and she was the one to give him advice. He was always like this when he was in a dilemma. He always asked for her and she never hesitated to give him answers.

Gorgo left her place and went back to her chamber. As she walked, she found her son, standing in one of the city steps. She sighed and embraced her son tightly. Her will to fight in the battle was stronger than ever. She knew that she would never let her son be killed or to be made into a slave. She would never forgive herself when that happened. She withdrew her arms from her son's body and left him. The boy did not move from his place as if someone had struck nails on his feet.

When she reached her chamber, she immediately sat on her bed, staring blankly on the cold stone walls. "Leonidas must be like this before. Searching for a mad hope that a weak force like this might destroy the Persians outright", she thought. She'd say she was in a more dramatic position than Leonidas. At least, in Leonidas' time, there were still remaining others to defend Greece, but in hers, there's no one to ask help to. All of the other cities had fallen into the hands of the Persians.

She clapped her hands into her mouth, breathing heavily. She needed Leonidas right at that very moment. She needed someone to comfort her. Her nights became miserable since his death. Horrible dreams had been her companion. Every night, she saw how her husband died, even though she was not at the battle itself. Every night, she dreamt how Leonidas and the others being arrowed, speared and strucked by the sword, while she was just standing there, watching and magnifying her horror.

She immediately turned her thoughts to the children in the mountains. "Their parents must be worried also", she told herself. In them, Gorgo saw a little ray hope amidst the total darkness, Yes, she thought. Children really were the hopes of their countries.

Her idea might risk happening her greatest fear, but she knew she had no other choice. She would not let the Persians overtake Sparta single-handedly. They would have to do this the hard way – the brutal way, even if they had to send the babies into war. Gorgo felt showed no sign of cowardice on the thought of Persians smashing Spartan walls and burning houses and monuments.

At that moment, she felt stronger and more independent than ever before. She, like any other Spartan, had been born and baptized in combat, but she never felt the strength and confidence she was feeling at the moment. Her fears suddenly went away after promising herself to dedicate herself fully to the preservation of Spartan liberty.

"Yes", she told herself. "I will not hesitate to do it. And I know that all the other Spartans out there will do the same. I swear, with the gods as my witnesses, that I will die as a free Spartan woman, not as a Persian slave. I will do at all costs to prevent my son from being killed or enslaved. I will lead the Spartans just like what my husband did. I will do it without second thoughts. The whole world will be our audience. That women stood up against men. That what the world had known as weak stood up against the strong. That the nearly falling city of Sparta endured the pride and arrogance of the conquering Persians. The greed and arrogance of Xerxes, the greatest coward the world has ever seen."

"For Sparta. For freedom. For glory. For Leonidas."

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What did ya think? please review!!!! I would be glad to hear your comments:-) 


	2. Chapter 2

Heller dudes!!! I'm back! I never thought physics would bring me into this...(of course with the aid of the soundtrack...)

Well...I could not believe I finished the second chapter after so many lab activities and lectures...

That's all for now...gotta make more lab write-ups (do i have to? nooooooooooo...)

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Chapter 2

Fifty Spartan warriors assembled themselves in front of the city gates, under the command of Dilios, now the captain of the Spartan army. Gorgo was next in line in the chain of command, so she took over Leonidas' position. Every soldier in Sparta looks upon Gorgo as their general. She was installed immediately after the council sent the Greek army to fight the Persian forces.

"Spartans, we await our queen here", Dilios said calmly but increasing in stress.

"We are to escort her to the dark mountains. She will ask advice to the Ephors. We will not let her be killed or injured along the way. If she's down, Sparta is doomed. In her hands lay the future of our motherland. I will not let that future go away from us. If our brave king is alive today, he would have ordered the whole Spartan army to accompany his lady. And we will do it for his sake. Who's with me?" he shouted.

"Awhooo! Awhooo!", the army replied with confidence.

A few meters away, Gorgo was approaching the armed men, riding a white horse. In the horse's side hung a spear, a leather bag, and a metal shield, and in her waist, a sword inserted in its sheath.

Gorgo stopped and went off her horse. "What is this?", she asked Dilios.

"My queen, they are the men to accompany you to the dark mountains", Dilios replied. "You need company during your journey to the Ephors. I assure you, my queen, the path leading to the mountains is quite rough."

"Our king has traveled there alone", she said firmly. "And so will I".

"But my queen…", Dilios tried to explain but Gorgo waived his answer.

"My decision is firm, captain. I will go there alone, just as my husband always did. I assure you, I can protect myself. I don't want to risk the remaining defense of our city for my little trip. Stay at the city. Protect our people. They need more protection than I am. It is unwise to send to army along with me while Persians may attack the city any day."

Dilios and the rest of the army were silent.

"If you really wish to ensure my security, then stay at Sparta. I will feel more secured knowing that there are enough to defend my city."

Gorgo returned to her horse and left the army.

Dilios, meanwhile, dismissed the flank and returned to the city. He felt insulted after the queen turned down his offer of letting the army accompany her to the Ephors. He was decided to protect the queen, for it was Leonidas' last wish. When he was going home with the Arcadians, Leonidas sent his fellow Spartan soldier to follow him. There, Dilios received a note from the king, telling him to protect the queen at all costs.

Since then, Dilios never looked at the queen the way he used to. He was now shy to face Gorgo, knowing that he must endure countless times of such encounters because he, being the captain, needed to get instructions from their general. He must have felt the pressure upon receiving the task.

Gorgo confidently rode through the dark path leading to the mountains where the Ephors reside. There were some threats of robbers and bandits, but she was able to overcome them. She was no ordinary woman. She was a Spartan woman, trained for combat and dedicated to defending her beloved people, no matter what.

It wasn't an easy journey. The forests near the mountains were mostly dark and foggy. Even at daytime, one can't easily go though the forests without the aid of torches, especially if one is traveling alone. Food and water were scarce. She had to spend tiring hours hunting for food and looking for spots which are close to river banks. Her longing for home grew stronger every second, but she must do her duty as queen. She needed to consult the Ephors.

One night, while she was sleeping, she heard sounds of footsteps. They were moving very fast, but she couldn't see where those footsteps were coming from. Her bonfire was already put out, so se realized that the owners of those footsteps had an advantage over her if they came to attack her. She drew her sword from its sheath and readied herself for an attack. She untied her horse from the nearest tree, keeping her eyes wide open and vigilant.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth with a thin piece of cloth and tying her hands behind her back. She involuntarily dropped her sword as she tried to free her hands from the tight ropes. She felt something very sharp pierce her waist. When she came to her senses, she saw several men, dressed in black and wearing metals masks resembling horrid faces.

"The Immortals", she thought. These bloodthirsty Persian warriors have followed her from Sparta and found a perfect timing to ambush her. There were two immortals holding Gorgo and there were five who were standing guard. One of the two Immortals who were holding her, took its sword and pointed it to her neck, threatening to cut her head off if she tried to fight back.

One of the five, who were standing guard, approached Gorgo and slapped her in the face. Another punched her in the stomach. Still another kicked her in the back. The rest followed and began to torture the queen. They slapped, kicked and punched her, until she was weak, but Gorgo felt no sign of weakness in her heart and in her mind. She was still strong willed and determined.

When one of the immortals was about to cut her head off, someone had strucked an Immortal with a spear. All of them looked at the attacker, and it was a man, wearing a Spartan armor and crimson. Gorgo felt relieved and stood up. The attacker cut the ropes which held Gorgo's hands and took off the cloth which covered her mouth. When she was free of her burdens, she took her sword and began to attack her abductors.

Two against seven was by no way fair, but Gorgo and the man overcame the Immortals easily. Swishing of swords and clanging of metal by metal were everywhere. Gorgo and the man killed all of her abductors, their dead bodies lying in the dust. When the fight was over, Gorgo held her sword and immediately aimed for the neck of the Spartan, tightening her grip to the sword.

"Show yourself", commanded Gorgo with ringing force. "State your intentions".

The Spartan took off his helmet and it revealed the kind face of Dilios. His head was full of scratches and bruises, the cloth covering his left eye dirtier than ever. Gorgo relaxed her grip and laid the sword down.

"I beg your pardon, captain. I was just cautious of another Persian attack", Gorgo apologized.

"It's no offense my queen. Any Spartan woman would have done the same"

Gorgo smiled. "Thank you for saving my life. You timing in impeccable".

Dilios replied, "We Spartans are trained to help each other out at times like this. It's a shame if the queen died without an audience. Someone should watch her die in combat so that she will be honored like her husband".

She was amused by his joke. She was impressed by Dilios' humor. He could easily whip up a good joke at times like this.

The rest of the journey towards the mountains was rather smooth. Gorgo felt more secure with Dilios accompanying her, but not the same if Leonidas was with her. Gorgo trusts the man, but she was a bit doubtful of his capabilities. He was an ordinary soldier before he was promoted as captain. But she was impressed by his determination and will.

When they reached the foot of the mountains, Gorgo volunteered to go up alone, but Dilios was persistent to come. He wouldn't permit her to go up alone without any guard. Finally, Gorgo decided that he could come to the peak, but made him promise to stay outside the Ephor's lair.

When they reached the stairs which led to the Ehpor's lair, Dilios remained behind as Gorgo went up to the lair alone.

When she reached the lair itself, she saw the four Ephors waiting for her. They were hiding their faces in their hooded cloaks. She could tell that they were grinning at her, but it was no grin of joy. Something more sinister was in it.

Gorgo bowed to the Ephors and said, "I humbly ask an audience with you. I came here to ask for wisdom. As you would have known, Sparta is falling, and we need to prevent it in any way we can. "

An Ephor stepped forward and said, "Before anything else, what do you offer?"

Gorgo took the leather bag, which had been with her in her journey, from her waist and placed it gently in the hands of the Ephor. The Ephor stepped back and checked its contents. He gave a wide grin to Gorgo and to the other Ephors.

Another Ephor spoke, "We warned your husband not to attack the Persians. He already insulted the gods and he had broken the law. We told him that Sparta should not attack at the time of the festival but instead, he let his own pride take over. He brought with him three hundred soldiers with the alibi that he was going to have a short walk to the Hot Gates. He put shame on the whole Spartan army. Never had we seen such a blasphemous king. He deserved to die."

Gorgo's face was red with fury but her facial expression was calm as ever. She wanted to struck the Ephors with her sword for their insult to her husband, but she must stay humble and calm in front of them. Her patience might pay off in the end.

Gorgo bowed her head as she spoke, "I apologize for the king's mistake. I am aware of his actions and resolved to ask for forgiveness to the gods".

"He will not be forgiven!" exclaimed the Ephor. "His soul will continue to be burned in Hell. The gods were greatly angered by his words and actions that they resolved not to give him forgiveness no matter what! He shall suffer for all eternity!"

The queen straightened herself and replied, "Pardon me. But my real intentions are not about Leonidas' salvation from the eternal fire. As I've said, I have come for your wisdom so that we could save Sparta from the deadly clutches of Xerxes."

The Ephors remained silent for several minutes and finally, one of them spoke, "You, queen of Sparta, we have an answer to your question".

"And what is it?", Gorgo asked eagerly.

"Trust more in the powers of the gods. They were greatly angered by your husband's actions. Sparta will be saved if you submit to the will of the gods. Offer what is left of you. Offer your sons and daughters. The gods deserve more after what you have committed against them. Have faith, oh queen. They will not forsake you".

Gorgo was astounded by what she heard. "Offer our children?"

"Yes, Offer your children. The gods want them as offering. Do it as soon as possible or it will be too late."

The color was completely drained from her face, big drops of cold sweat flowing down in her forehead. Offer their children? But this was madness. She could not believe it. There must be a mistake.

"Forgive me, there must be a mistake…"

"MISTAKE?!", shouted one of the Ephors. "The gods are never mistaken! They should be honored beyond anything! You are as blasphemous as your king. He had forsaken the wprds of the gods, and now the gods had forsaken him. They are more angered than ever before!"

"And what must I do to lessen their anger?" Gorgo asked humbly.

"Walk into chamber where the oracle speaks her word. There is no one there. Pray to the gods. Ask for their forgiveness. They are merciful to humble souls."

One of the Ephors directed her to the chamber, after which she was left alone. She knelt in the stone floor and kissed it. She continued to kneel and prayed sincerely to the gods, hoping that they would be merciful to her and to the Spartans. She also thought of Leonidas. She hoped that what the Ephors have said were not true.

While she was praying, she felt her hair being pulled back very tightly. Someone took her by the hair and directed the blade of a sword at her waist. When she looked at the chamber, she saw all the four Ephors and five Immortals staring back at her.

"You deserve to die as much as Leonidas", one of them said. "You have angered the god of all gods, the lord of all lords, king of all kings. You have angered Holy Xerxes".

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